Tested: TruBrain Nootropic Drinks

TruBrain nootropics are supposed to help you get focused, be present, and be productive. Who doesn’t want that?

I feel smarter just reading about the product:

TruBrain is not an energy drink; think of it as more of a mental endurance drink. TruBrain can replace the energy market (coffee, energy drinks, prescription medications) with products that support the brain’s natural endurance of processing (measured by alpha brainwave ratio) instead of caffeine-induced alertness (simply high beta brainwaves).

I imagined it would be like the movie Limitless and I’d be looking stylish, writing books, and busting out sit-ups, all without breaking a sweat.

I’ve tested stuff like this before, even one supplement that claimed to be a nootropic (it worked the first day and never worked again), but I’ve never tested one of the top brands like TruBrain.

TruBrain isn’t just some random, sketchy supplement company. They have UCLA-trained neuroscientists shaping their products.

It’s like an energy gel for your brain.

Let’s say you’re out for a long training session and you grab a GU gel. That gel gives your muscles the sugars and amino acids they need to keep performing at a high level.

Well, truBrain works a lot like that. It delivers the raw materials that your brain needs during periods of high stress, high workload, and low sleep (which is like your brain’s version of an Ironman triathlon!) Your brain burns through this stuff rapidly, and there’s no good way to quickly and effectively replenish it through your regular diet. Hence, truBrain.

The best part – what I’m really excited about – is how truBrain does drinks. You don’t have to swallow pills! And they’re like energy gel sized drinks so it’s not like you have to worry about drinking a ton of water or carrying around a big heavy bottle!

Looking for a competitive advantage?

It’s only natural that if we are trying to optimize our bodies for strength, power, endurance, fat burning, and sports performance, that we’re going to want to improve and amplify our brain power, too.

Everyone wants an advantage, anywhere.

I’m not sure if there’s a way this could help me win races, but it almost sends chills down my spine when I think about how productive I could be!

I might be a competitive athlete, but most of the time, I’m just a busy adult!

What TruBrain Is Made Of

They sent me a mix of the Original (which improves focus, concentration, and alertness) and the “Boost” version (which adds extra ingredients for enhanced memory and cognition). You can also get a caffeine-free version if you’re into that sort of thing.

Here is the Nutrition Facts label:

Some of these are well-known performance aids (like caffeine), but a few are substances I’m not familiar with! They’re not normally found in other sports nutrition products.

Let’s look at what they do:

Oxiracetam + Piracetam

These members of the racetam family are the two main ingredients. By “causing neurons to fire faster and longer” they yield focus and productivity for you.

I’ve never seen the actual research, and to be honest, it might be over my head. But I checked Examine.com for a quick synopsis of both and discovered that these supplements improve general cognition in people in a state of cognitive decline. There’s not a lot of support that these can enhance memory and learning in young and healthy people, so we’ll see what happens.

Caffeine + L-Theanine

They say this combination “produces a sense of clear focus and relaxation.” I can vouch for that!

The caffeine makes you alert, and then the theanine calms you in a way that lets you harness that alertness without getting jittery. It’s magical!

And there’s more:

• Magnesium may provide a protective effect against depression and ADHD.
• Tyrosine improves cognition when you’re under stress, and may reduce feelings of stress, too.
• Carnitine boosts your energy metabolism and mitochondrial protection, giving you both physical and mental energy.
• CDP-Choline prevents memory impairments and potentially enhances learning ability.

Last I checked, none of these are on the banned substances list!

Testing TruBrain In Real Life

I tested truBrain in a variety of conditions over the course of three months. I’m going to share my experiences and everything I learned.

How was life prior to truBrain?

Hmm… well I was mostly working 9-5 at an enjoyable yet mundane desk job. Even though I was getting buzzed on caffeine each morning (cold brew coffee is wonderful), some days I just couldn’t stay focused to save my life. My productivity was dropping no matter how healthy I was eating or how often I was exercising. (Granted, neither my training nor nutrition were great!)

I’m not complaining – just stating an all too common reality for myself and many others. The type of reality that truBrain could potentially improve!

Was there an adaptation period or build-up phase?

Yes. When they talk about letting the active nootropics build up in your system, they mean it.

TruBrain active nootropics are fundamentally different than a quick jolt of alertness of caffeine or stimulants. Please bear with us, as you should have TruBrain for a couple days in a row to let the active nootropics build up.

They gave an estimate of 5-8 days before you unlock the full benefits, and that came true. I took this for a week without noticing much of anything. It was day #9 where it kicked in for me. That was the first day where I sat back and was like, “damn, yeah, this works!”

What’s it feel like to be focused?

It feels great! But it’s not quite what I expected. Let’s talk about that first day it kicked in…

I had a truBrain packet first thing in the morning, then got to work and had my morning coffee a while later. I was working well, not thinking much of it, just working. I was also remembering all sorts of little things from recent events – sort of like I was unlocking memories that were just out of reach days earlier (when those memories should have been fresh in my mind).

I could tell my brain was sharp, but it just felt natural. It wasn’t until that night where I was like, “hey, I was really focused and productive today, AND my brain was able to access these forgotten memories. Was it a coincidence, or was it truBrain?”

That was when I knew that nootropics are for real!

Over time, I think I got better at harnessing the effects. On a good day, it’s like I’m almost wired, but calm enough to focus like crazy. It’s awesome!

How long does it take to kick in?

That’s hard to say. Since it doesn’t give you that instant boost like an energy drink, it’s usually working before you ever notice it.

But there was this one day where I was really bored and unfocused, so I took a truBrain Boost at 3:30 in the afternoon. It wasn’t even 4:00 and I was feeling on top of the world! I think what happened was that the focus kicked in, and that increased my productivity, and that set off my happiness! (Because I’m MISERABLE when I can tell I’m being unproductive!)

Did it produce consistent results?

I wish!

Sure, there were days where truBrain totally helped me out – days where I could feel myself being focused and thinking sharply. And they were totally awesome! Maybe not exactly the same as depicted in Limitless, but very, very good.

Unfortunately, those days were the minority. A lot of the days just seemed normal. I often wrote “inconclusive” at the end of the day. One day my entire testing notes consisted of: “yeah I think it helped some.” Not exactly a glowing endorsement!

Are there any side effects?

I sure hope not! To the best of my knowledge, I didn’t experience any negative side effects. Either it made me more focused and productive, or it did nothing.

Of course, I don’t know if nootropics are safe to take every day, long term. They haven’t been studying nootropics on humans all that long.

A TruBrain Taste Test

You’ve gotta be wondering how it tastes and what it’s like to squeeze one of these packets into your mouth…

The truBrain flavor

There’s no actual name for the flavor (other than “original”), so you might be worried it’s going to taste like medicine. Fortunately, that’s not the case. They put some sugar and agave in there to sweeten things up, and then mangosteen and monk fruit to flavor it.

All I can say is that it’s decent! It does NOT taste like cough medicine! It’s not great, but you don’t taste anything bad.

The “boost” version is a different story, though! It’s terrible!! I like to have food nearby to wash away any lingering aftertaste if I’m taking one of them!

How is the texture?

It’s kind of strange because it’s a liquid. It’s a thick liquid, but it’s definitely not a gel. And it’s weird to squeeze a liquid out of a packet like this.

Well, not so much weird as it is different. But, it works!

What’s up with the packaging?

I’d have to describe them as foil-lined papery packets. Or maybe they are energy gel sized, twist-off juice boxes.

The perforated opening is convenient, so they are really easy to use. Just twist it off right at the perforation, and squeeze into your mouth.

You have to really squeeze the juice out and suck it dry, similar to what you do with an energy gel packet. But you really have to suck the juice out like you’re sucking on a straw, because the packet is stiff.

Along with that, it seems highly unlikely that one of those would get punctured or open accidentally, so you can toss them into your bag with no worries. Ultimate convenience!

Price and Value

Before I render my final verdict, I have to mention price and value.

Enrolling in truBrain’s most popular subscription – 30 drinks per month – will cost you $65. That’s a little more than $2 per day.

So it’s expensive, but not super outrageous. It’s a bit more than I pay for either healthy energy drinks or fancy joint supplements, but less than it would cost for a latte at Starbucks.

The point is, know it’s not cheap to take it consistently. Make sure it’s within your budget.

My final verdict is…

Keeping in mind that I tested this as a busy adult trying to make time for workouts, rather than as a competitive athlete, I definitely had some success with it. But by some, I mean four days out of the past thirty. And I had some days where it didn’t do me a lick of good.

When you add up the 1-2 weeks of loading, and maybe 10-20% of the time it doesn’t work at all, that’s quite a bit of money just to get started. (The value is diminishing quickly!)

All that said, I’m happy with this stuff! It’s worth a shot if you’re interested in nootropics! It’s one of the legit ones, and it seems to provide results, somehow. Heck, for some people, it might change your life.

Official website: www.TruBrain.com